Episode 1446 (6 May 1997)
Synopsis Martin is still missing the following day, and Pauline has called the police. Sonia and Claire turn up to take him to school and she makes an excuse that he is still ill. Mark asks around to see if anyone has seen him, and the rumour gets round that he is missing. Sanjay's new stock is a great success and Bianca sulks about it. Sanjay tells Michael that he will have the first instalment of the loan repayment later on after he has been to the bank. He hands it over and several of the stallholders see him do so. George drops the bombshell to Huw and Lenny that the police won't be raiding the club again because he's going to close it down until the bad publicity has died down. They're upset but he offers them £500 each as retainers. Huw says it depends if he's going to be closed for weeks or months, because they could be seriously out of pocket. George replies it's not a negotiable offer, so they take it reluctantly. Tony invites them round to his place hoping to find out more about what happened and what George is doing. Robbie goes to the gym to take up boxing and is there when an attractive young woman arrives asking for George. The gym manager tells her he's probably at the club, so she goes there and Lenny hits on her. She says she is a rep for a sound system company and Lenny asks her to leave her phone number, "just in case." She laughs and says she'll speak to the owner, thanks. They tell her he may be in the Vic, so she is just walking in when George drives up and beeps his horn and stops her. He asks when she got back, and says he would have met her at the airport if she'd mentioned it. He also stops her going in the Vic, saying that it's not a good idea, and adding unconvincingly that he doesn't want to share her with a lot of drunken punters. He says they can go back to "the house" and he will arrange dinner there. He apologises to Peggy again and says he will have to put off tonight's dinner too because he has a bit of business to deal with, and there are loose ends to tie up after closing the club. Lorraine is still refusing to face facts about Joe, and she insists on visiting the hospital he was transferred to, even though she was told not to. Grant says he will take her, and they try to barge their way in past the nurse who tells them it is several hours until visiting time. Lorraine says she has come a long way to see her son, and when he discovers who her son is, he tells her that she has already been told she is not allowed to see him in the first week. Grant tries to make him call the doctor but the nurse says it's pointless as he will only say the same and it is a rule which they won't break, and for the patient's own good. He tells Lorraine that she should try to think of Joe's welfare not her own, and she should be able to deal with her emotions, whereas Joe cannot, and she may do serious harm to the work they have already done with him if she insists on visiting him now. She calms down slightly, but Grant says we've come all this way, lets go, and tries to barge past the nurse again. Lorraine says no, he's right, I've only been thinking of my wishes, and ignoring what is best for Joe, we'll come back when we are told to. She calls at the correct time and is given a visiting appointment for next Thursday. Sarah is waiting for her when she gets home, and asks how Joe is, and says how sorry she was that she wasn't a good friend to him when she knew he was ill. Lorraine says she is sorry she didn't listen to Sarah when she told her that Joe was slipping into his old ways, and she has been a good friend to Joe and it isn't her fault. Tiffany invites Grant round for his first official visit as Courtney's father and she's not very pleased that Tony has invited Huw and Lenny round. Huw and Lenny turn up and they all drink a lot. Tiffany comes home to find lots of beer bottles all over the flat, and Courtney asleep in the bedroom. She is furious that her evening with Grant is not looking promising, but Tony just moves the empty pizza box and carries on quizzing Lenny about George's intentions and business and what he is doing with the club. Grant arrives and looks at the crowd of people in annoyance. Tiffany says it's OK, she's asleep in the other room, come through, but Grant refuses and says he will come back another time. He goes home and rants on about Tiffany living in an open house and he doesn't think that is a suitable environment for his daughter. He bends Nigel's ear about it and says Tiffany is "living it up" on his money. The police call Pauline and say they have found Martin. She's pleased but dismayed when they say they will not release him, but she has to come to the station. She discovers he has been arrested for breaking into a school and stealing computer equipment. The rest of the gang apparently escaped. Pauline has a fanciful notion that they will go to the school to make Martin apologise and pay for any damage, but the police say it is much more serious than that, and this is criminal damage and theft, so Martin certainly won't be going anywhere yet. Pauline asks what will happen to him, and the policeman says he can't speculate, so Pauline asks him what is "likely" to happen. He says the current policy is to be tough and it will probably go to trial. Martin is still refusing to give away the names of his accomplices, but maybe that will shock a bit of sense into him. Credits Main cast *Wendy Richard as Pauline *James Alexandrou as Martin *Todd Carty as Mark *Caroline Paterson as Ruth *Deepak Verma as Sanjay *Shobu Kapoor as Gita *Jamila Massey as Neelam *Russell Floyd as Michael *Martine McCutheon as Tiffany *Ross Kemp as Grant *Barbara Windsor as Peggy *Paul Moriarty as George *Patsy Palmer as Bianca *Dean Gaffney as Robbie *Pam St. Clement as Pat *Jacqueline Leonard as Lorraine *Gillian Taylforth as Kathy *Brian Croucher as Ted *Daniella Denby-Ashe as Sarah *Mark Homer as Tony *Andrew Lynford as Simon *Desune Coleman as Lenny *Richard Elis as Huw *Paul Bradley as Nigel *Gemma Bissix as Clare *Natalie Cassidy as Sonia *June Brown as Dot *Nadia Sawalha as Annie *Eric Mason as Dave *Dale Rapley as D.C. Collins *Ron Tarr as Big Ron Category:Episode Category:1997 Episodes Category:Image Required